When the first Chickie’s and Pete’s popped up on Robbins Avenue in Philadelphia, it was simply a “corner bar” that served regular bar food, cheesesteaks and, during the summer months, crabs.

In 1977, Pete Ciarrocchi — founder of Chickie’s and Pete’s — decided to experiment with seasoned French fries, but wanted them to be different.

“They couldn’t just be plain Old Bay fries,” he said.

So, he started to mess around with different seasoning combinations and use his customers as test subjects.

“I’d make fries and they would say they liked them better yesterday,” Ciarrocchi said. “So I’d add something else and they would like that better.”

Finally in 1979, he got it just right and Crabfries were born.

Today, Chickie’s and Pete’s has expanded to include 10 restaurants and numerous express locations in amusement parks, on the boardwalks of Wildwood and Ocean City, and other venues.

Flavor — Chickie’s and Pete’s has grown to be synonymous with the Philadelphia sports scene.

“What sets us apart is the great food and the relationship of our customers to our employees and staff,” Ciarrocchi said.

The “great food” part comes from fresh, never-frozen foods and from-scratch cooking, according to Ciarrocchi.

“We don’t even have a microwave in the building,” he said.

When Ciarrocchi was in high school, he took cooking classes his junior and senior years because he thought it would be “easy.”

He said one segment of the class was learning French cooking, from which Chickie’s and Pete’s has benefited.

“They taught us a lot about sauces and now Chickie’s and Pete’s has great sauces,” Ciarrocchi said.

Menu — With roots in seafood, the menu at Chickie’s and Pete’s features fresh Blue Claw hard shell crabs, Snow Crab legs, King Crab legs and Dungeness Crabs cooked in a unique blend of seasoning and served Chickie’s style, in their famous crab juice.

Fresh mussels, clams, shrimp and baby lobster tails are also available at Chickie’s and Pete’s.

In addition, the menu is full of appetizers such as Chickie’s Wings for $9.95 a dozen; nachos with crab for $14.95, cheesesteak for $11.95 or Buffalo chicken for $12.95; and crab bruschetta for $12.95.

There are classic cheesesteaks for $8.95, Lobster cheesesteaks for $12.95 and South Philly cheesesteaks for $9.95; or half-pound, prime sirloin burgers such as the Mushroom Swiss for $9.95, the Bacon Bleu for $9.95 or the Ultimate Tailgate — a jumbo lump crabcake stacked on a cheeseburger, drizzled in aioli — for $12.95.

Dessert/Drinks — Because Chickie’s and Pete’s started as a corner bar, beer is very important to the restaurant.

“We had TVs so it was like a sports bar, but no one called it a sports bar back then,” Ciarrocchi said. “Anyone can have a couple TVs, but it has to have a feel to it. So we took that mentality and that’s what makes us different from the rest.”

The beer at Chickie’s and Pete’s is always cold and there are draft beer specials each day of the week.

Atmosphere — Flat screen televisions line the perimeter of the 25,000-square-foot Chickie’s and Pete’s, allowing every guest a clear sight line to their favorite sporting event while dining.

But instead of just showing the games on television, Ciarrocchi said Chickie’s and Pete’s hosts the games with Game Sound programming throughout the restaurant, sound effects and special music during the exciting moments.